Making tracks

'John Deere' rugs double as cheeky interior decor items and as a comment on the industrialization of farming in Scandinavia.

Thu, Jan 07 2010 at 11:47 AM EST

Gotta love a design firm that manages to inject a bit of irrelevance and eco-commentary into a singular product. Take a look at the line of “John Deere” rugs — as far as I know, they’re not sold through or associated with the iconic Illinois-based tractor company, just inspired by it — designed by Norway's Permafrost.

The oversized, 5-foot round rugs are made in Sweden from 100 percent New Zealand wool and are available in tractor-stamped green (grass) and brown (mud). As part of the "Stories" line, Permafrost has also designed a black rug (asphalt?) with human footprints and a white (snow) rug called "Silence" with rabbit tracks. Says Permafrost:

The John Deere rug offers a snapshot of life in rural Scandinavia. Heavy machinery has long since replaced the labor of farm animals, leaving its trademark tracks in the grass and mud. On the outskirts of civilization, reading such tracks is a vital skill.

Neat. Although these pricey (they retail for over $1,600) designed-in-Norway-made-in-Sweden-from-New Zealand-wool rugs originate from places far away as you can get from rural America (if you’re looking for something “local” look elsewhere), I dig the concept behind them.

After all, wouldn’t it be satisfying to get a typical “What a cheeky rug!” compliment and then respond with a “Well, actually, it’s also a comment on the rise industrialized farming practices in rural Scandinavia,” or something like that? Or maybe it's just me.